The Immortal Rose
by plenoptic
Summary: Seth has seven demons, Osiris has seven angels. The Devil called Seto has been separated from his brothers, and now the angel called Kisara may be the one to fill his Abyss. Blueshipping, BakuraXRyou, implied AtemuXSeto later on.
1. Opening

**Opening**

_Plenoptic_

**So! From the journal our loyal scribe Akhenaden has been keeping:**

Name wise:

**Seto** is kind of Priest Seto and Seto Kaiba. Like a combo Kaiba. He's attracted to Kisara, but he's Mokuba's older brother. Same basic personality, though.

**Ishizu** is really more like Priestess Isis, but since I'm also using the goddess Isis the priestess will be referred to as Ishizu to avoid confusion. Ishtar-san is actually very much like Lady Isis, so it's really not that big a deal.

**Marik **is the good Marik; not the evil freak who tried to kill everyone. He may come in later, but for now it's just Marik Ishtar. He's such a cutie :D

**Bakura** is the tomb robber, thief king, Yami no Bakura, whatever. **Ryou** is Ryou Bakura, the good counterpart and Yami no Bakura's host.

**Shaadi** is the Egyptian stalker who goes into people's souls.

**Noah **is a Kaiba, Gozaboro Kaiba's biological son. I believe he was from the Battle City arc. I like this kid, I had to use him.

**Yugi** is kind of like Yugi Mutou and Atemu put together. In the story (I'm giving it away), Yugi's Soul has suffered trauma and thus was split in two, creating Atemu for use in stressful situations like battles.

**Hassan** is the spirit who helped Atemu in the last season in the battle against Zorc Necrophades.

**Kisara **I'm hoping no one is confused about. The only difference in her character is that she does not have the dragons and is actually the highest ranked angel. She is attracted to Seto (madly) but can't open up for risk of tilting the Equilibrium.

The Ranks:

In descending order of strength (strongest to weakest), the ranks are as follows:

**Demons: Devil **(Seto), **Depravity **(Bakura), **Sinner** (Marik), **Guardian** (Mahado), **Fate** (Shaadi), **Spirit** (Ishizu), and **Demon** (Mana).

**Angels** (the actual ranks of angel according to my dictionary; Seraphim and Cherubim are not used): **Throne** (Kisara), **Domination **(Hassan), **Virtue** (Yugi), **Power** (Noah), **Principality** (Mokuba), **Archangel **(Ryou), and **Angel** (Shizuka).

The Gods:

The Egyptian gods are the big guns in this series and are portrayed as humans for ease of imagination.

**Seth** is the Egyptian Lord of Chaos and the youngest brother. He reigns over the seven demons, or Bringers of Darkness.

**Hathor** is the younger sister, the goddess of all things good in life: music, alcohol, sexuality, fertility, etc (just kidding about the all things good). She is also a mother goddess.

**Osiris** is basically the King. He is the God of the Afterlife, of death, of rebirth, etc. He is the eldest brother of Seth, Hathor, and Isis. He rules over the angels.

**Isis** is the eldest sister and is the Mother goddess, especially of kings.

**Horus** is, for all intents and purposes, just Osiris and Isis's young son in this fic (yes, the Egyptians believed that the gods actually reproduced with their siblings. Go figure, I guess a lot of religions do that). He'll be portrayed as a child and is often referred to as the Prince.

The Equilibrium of Which They Speak:

Rule I: Osiris has seven angels; Seth has seven demons. Together they create an Equilibrium that keeps the human world from becoming too pure or too evil.

Rule II: Each angel has a Soul; each demon has an Abyss. This is what makes them unshakable in their role in the Equilibrium.

Rule III: If an angel fills a demon's Abyss (s/he essentially becomes obsessed with him/her to the point where Seth is no longer her/his priority), then the Equilibrium will shift to the Light and Osiris will release Ka to feed on the souls of sinners in the human world.

Rule IV: If a demons steals an angel's Soul (s/he becomes obsessed with him/her to the point where Osiris is no longer her/his priority), then the Equilibrium will shift to the Dark and Seth will release Ka to wreak havoc in the human world.

Rule V: Two demons are permitted to develop feelings for one another, but because both are empty, they cannot fill one another's Abyss.

Rule VI: Two angels are permitted to develop feelings for one another, but because both are full, they cannot take one another's Soul.

Rule VII: If a demon steals an angel's Soul as the angel fills the demon's Abyss, then a state of Divine Equilibrium will be created and the human world will forever be not completely pure and not completely evil--balanced. The angels and demons will released from their contract with the gods and permitted to go on to the Afterlife.

Where the Relationships Stand:

**Seto and Kisara**, though attracted to one another, are reluctant to intermingle lest the Equilibrium be unbalanced. They could be planning something…

**Seto and Mokuba**, though brothers, have a very estranged relationship. Their father was a demon and their mother was an angel, creating a demon and an angel within their two sons. Seto has distanced himself from Mokuba for fear that his Abyss may be filled.

**Seto, Noah, and Mokuba** are brothers, though it is unclear how Noah is related to them. Seth and Osiris know the truth but haven't let Seto and Mokuba in on it yet.

**Bakura and Ryou**-- Bakura seems intent upon pursuing Ryou, probably in an attempt to steal his Soul. Doesn't explain the strange attraction Ryou feels for him…

Misc

**Demons:**

**Seto--**the Devil. He's close to Bakura and Marik, looks up to Mahado, fights with Mana, and is often scolded by Ishizu. It's safe to say that he gets along pretty well with everyone. He feels his Abyss is threatened by Kisara, Mokuba, Noah, and even Yugi. He became the highest ranked demon not through maliciousness, but through power alone.

**Bakura--**the Depravity. He seems close to Seto and Marik, but seems to think Mahado is better suited to be an angel. Surprisingly, he actually gets along well with Mana; she may a bit of a little sister to him. He doesn't have any particular relationship with Ishizu, but that may change. Wonder what his attraction is to Ryou…and he hates Yugi.

**Marik--**the Sinner. He's good friends with Seto and Bakura. Long ago he and Ishizu seemed to be 'involved', and they still feel the aftereffects of their split. He treats Mana like a squirt and argues with Mahado a lot. He doesn't trust Yugi and believes Kisara is an enchantress rather than an angel, and is constantly trying to break Seto's infatuation with her. He once tried to steal Shizuka's Soul.

**Mahado--**the Guardian. He's closest to Ishizu--there may even be feelings there--and treats Seto and Mana like his younger siblings. The darkness in Bakura's heart alarms him, and often clashes heads with Marik on several ethnic bases. He actually harbors a deep trust for Yugi but has managed to retain his Abyss. In times of relative peace, he's been a victim of Mokuba and Noah's pranks.

**Shaadi--**the Fate. He has no personal attachment to neither demons nor angels, but somehow doesn't seem completely loyal to either of the gods. He seems to be pulling for Seto and Kisara. It could be that his true goal is simply to move on to the Afterlife, but the Divine Equilibrium must be achieved before he can. His objectives really are mysterious.

**Ishizu--**the Spirit. She seems close to everyone with the exception of Shaadi, though her relationship with Marik is currently strained. She is a bit of a mother to Mana. She actually gets along well with all of the angels as well, and is seen in battle very infrequently. Seth keeps her due to her powers of foresight.

**Mana--**the Demon. Probably the most lovable of Seth's bringers. She blatantly looks up to Mahado and secretly looks up to Seto, but her pride won't let her admit it. She could probably become stronger than all of the demons if she put her mind to it, but she seems most preoccupied with enjoying her already empty existence. Yugi and Mokuba may the biggest threats to her Abyss.

**The Angels:**

**Kisara--**the Throne. Even she can't explain her attraction to Seto, but feels that he's not as dark as the others. He's become a very real threat to her Soul. She dutifully watches over her fellow angels, though she feels most comfortable confiding in Hassan, who seems to support her relationship with Seto. None of the demons seem to have any particular feelings of resentment towards her. She is well loved by Shizuka, Mokuba, and Noah.

**Hassan--**the Domination. Possibly the most violent of the angels, and the only one who doesn't have wings. He protects Yugi and supports Kisara. Somehow he is always the victim of Mokuba and Noah's pranks, but because they never seem to faze him the boys get frustrated and only try harder to throw him off. So really Hassan is his own sanity's downfall. A very mysterious character indeed.

**Yugi/Atemu--**the Virtue. Have you all been waiting for this one? Due to severe trauma earlier in his existence his Soul was split, so his alter ego Atemu emerges in times of stress. Yugi is incredibly compassionate, even for an angel, and wants nothing more than to release everyone to the Afterlife. He isn't close enough to any of the demons to hope to achieve Divine Equilibrium himself, so he's pulling for Seto and Kisara. He knows he poses a threat to Seto's Abyss so doesn't push their relationship out of respect. Atemu, on the other hand, seems determined to force the Equilibrium to the side of Light…and is thus making advances on Seto's Abyss.

**Noah--**the Power. I've switched his character up a bit from his personality in the anime. He's a bit more Mokuba-like now. He's undoubtedly closest to Mokuba, and looks for a mother in Kisara. It could be that he pranks Hassan because he looks up to him. He knows he's related to Seto and Mokuba but, like them, doesn't know how.

**Mokuba--**the Principality. Osiris placed him in a position of higher power in hopes of getting to Seto, but so far it hasn't worked, though Mokuba takes his position seriously and has grown stronger as an angel. He desperately wants to form a stronger relationship with his older brother, but doesn't know how to do so without threatening Seto (who seems to have formed a complex over his Abyss or something). He's very close Noah.

**Ryou--**the Archangel. As such, it is his duty to retrieve lost souls from the human world. He, like Hassan, seems a bit detached from the other angels. He's both terrified and entranced by Bakura, and seems to think himself as the weakest link, so guards his Soul almost obsessively.

**Shizuka--**the Angel. Sorry, she came out to be a bit of a brat. She looks up to Kisara very much, and is constantly annoyed by Mokuba and Noah. Hassan scares her, and Ryou weirds her out. She's a bit hard to please. Though she'd never tell Kisara, she harbors a crush on Seto, and is constantly struggling with the fact that she may lose her Soul to him. She's good friends with Yugi, and more annoys than angers the demons (Bakura and Marik in particular).


	2. The Curtain Rises

**The Curtain Rises**

_Plenoptic_

**Just this abrupt and crazy idea I had. Not even sure what the idea is at the moment. Surely I'll have it figured out by the end of the story.**

**IMPORTANT: The notes in the previous document are not completely obligatory, but they're a good reference if you get confused about ranks or the Equilibrium, or if you want background on the characters. They're only there for convenience. It might be a good idea to take a skim before reading, especially if you're unfamiliar with Egyptian mythology. The misc. information is not really at all vital to the story, as much of what is discussed there will be brought up again in later chapters. **

**For this story, the Underworld is like a way-station between the human world and the Afterlife. It's the place where confused souls (those that don't know they're dead and those that have not undergone the Weighing of the Hearts) and the demons and angels thrive.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

_The Underworld_

"…The bringer hasn't returned yet?"

"No, my lord."

"He has not reported back?"

"No, my lord."

"…Mmm."

The Chaos Lord dropped his head back over the arm of the day bed, a black rose dangling from one pale hand. Blood-red eyes blinked sleepily at the ceiling from beneath a wild halo of black hair. As long as the petals had not begun to fall, it meant that his demon was still alive…

"Zorc forbid he hasn't pushed too far past the border, he only needs to gather information," Seth grumbled to himself, sitting up abruptly and tossing the rose onto a nearby cushion. "What of his dragons?"

"Two are with him, my lord. The third is waiting in the Lord Devil's temple."

"Typical. I don't suppose it will respond to anyone's calls?"

"No, my lord."

"Not even to our Black Magician?"

"No, my lord."

Seth pondered, picking up the rose again and chewing thoughtfully on the stem; the thorns cut into his white lips, a trickle of blood running down his chin. When the maiden at his side moved forward to help he flicked a hand towards the door, dismissing her. She obliged immediately, her feet carrying her swiftly from the room; she didn't want to be near the Chaos God once he was in one of his 'moods'.

Gods forbid she ever had to go through that again.

A long silence filled the chamber. Seth shifted uncomfortably on his couch, folding his arms over his chest, almost pouting as a child would. _What's taking him so long?_ There would be all levels of hell to pay if the bringer had managed to lose his Abyss to an angel. Seth couldn't afford to lose the Equilibrium now.

"Assassination of the Prince is not so easy to achieve," a soft voice reminded him from the corner, and he sighed.

"When did you materialize in here?"

"A few moments ago."

"Reading my thoughts again?"

"As always."

Seth flopped onto his back, landing upon a virtual mountain of deep purple cushions. "Did you crack a window on your way in? It's bloody hot in here."

He heard the rustle of her robes as she stood, heard the subtle tapping of her light feet as she padded across the room to draw aside the thick curtains, letting the light of the moon fall into his chambers.

"Put out the candles too, would you?"

She did so without complaint, leaning over the arm of his couch to blow out the candle beside his perch. Sighing, she dipped a hand in the basin of water nearby and gently rubbed away the blood from his face.

"Why not stay with Big Brother Osiris, Hathor?" he asked quietly, lifting a hand to play with a strand of her black hair. Her amber eyes blinked down at him, weary with words they'd spoken a thousand times before.

"Eldest Brother has Isis, does he not?"

"He'd do better with you," Seth yawned, dropping his hand to scratch absently at his stomach. "Isis is too sentimental. She is too thoughtful."

"That is the job of the queen, is it not? To be the King's heart."

Hathor was silent for a time. Seth was dozing off, his chin dropping onto his chest, body relaxing against the cushions. He'd meant to stay awake; his bringer's powers would be more powerful when the Chaos Lord was awake, but even the gods needed their rest.

_It's his own damn fault for being late…_

"Why _don't_ I go back to Eldest Brother?" Hathor mused, smiling slightly as she stroked her sibling's hair. "There must be something that captivates me about such a child as you, dear Seth, planning the destruction of the world…"

* * *

"Since when are there so many damn _angels_?" Bakura growled, throwing himself down and rubbing his hands through his thick white hair. "Can't catch a break!"

"There are seven demons and seven angels, Bakura," Marik replied patiently, sighing. "The Equilibrium, remember?"

"There's like three of us and a bazillion of them! It's not fair!"

"Is that the excuse you're going to use when we go back to Seth empty-handed? 'It wasn't fair'? Your head is going to roll a thousand times faster than ours, I tell you. He'll be furious."

"This was Seto's mission anyway! Why did we get dragged in?"

"Stop your complaining. We're here now, aren't we?"

The bickering pair looked up at the sound of wings, muffled by the heavy silence of the night, and the demon called Seto fluttered into their campsite, sitting down and blowing his brown hair straight up and out of his face. He was scowling, as usual, but there was an unusually dark anger flickering in his ethereal blue eyes.

"Trouble?" Bakura inquired, arching an eyebrow as Seto promptly flopped backwards in the sand.

"He promised a storm," Seto grumbled irritably, rolling onto his side and folding his midnight wings. He didn't want his comrades to see the insides of the dark feathers, now glittering softly in the light of the fire; he didn't want them to know that he'd been high in the sky, catching stars again. Didn't want them to know how dangerously close he was to losing his Abyss.

"Seth?"

"Yes, Seth. He promised us a storm. Rain and sleet and howling winds and thunder and lightning and torrential floods."

"And?"

"It sprinkled," Seto grumped, and Marik and Bakura both snorted. "Shut up! If we don't gain some information soon, he'll have your heads as well! And where are Letha and Atreyu?"

"Flying, I would presume," Bakura drawled, flicking a hand dismissively towards the irritatingly clear sky. "Your dragons are nearly as star-drunk as you are, Seto."

"And why did we not bring Sol?" Marik added, throwing out a blanket. "Would three dragons not be better than two?"

"Mana kept him at my temple," Seto mumbled, hunching his shoulders. "She said she wanted to make sure I'd come back."

"Didn't want you running away, eh?"

"Apparently."

"I'm not surprised. That little angel girl is going to fill your Abyss. And _then _Seth will royally rip off your--mmph!" Bakura snorted as a cushion was magicked from limbo and thrown rudely at his face, the moldy old thing filling his mouth with sand. Seto, meanwhile, had rolled himself inside his own blanket, stretching the tip of one wing to gaze at his feathers, flecked with star dust…

* * *

"He's going to taint you."

Kisara looked over her shoulder, white hair sweeping across her back, blue eyes blinking curiously at her friend.

"What?"

Shizuka swallowed and lowered her eyes. "That Devil. He's going to steal your Soul."

"Devil? You mean Seto?"

Shizuka trembled, blinking tears from her eyes. Her wings fluttered with the light breeze. "See? You call him by his name. Have you no fear for the most terrifying bringer of them all?"

Kisara turned away, looking back out over the quiet city below. The soft glow of the forlorn spirits was both unsettling and soothing; it made her want to cry and smile at the same time. "…His Abyss isn't as deep as the others."

"It's the deepest of them all!" Shizuka argued, moving forward to grab Kisara's hand. "A devil is the highest class of demon! He's a monster! And you're letting him have you Soul!"

Kisara squeezed Shizuka's fingers but said nothing. Shizuka, a mere Angel, with neither high rank nor great power. Too young to possibly understand the Equilibrium the way Kisara and the other five did.

"Do you know, by chance, who's looking for the demons tonight?"

Shizuka sniffled, wiping her eyes. "You shouldn't be worrying about such things. You're a Throne."

Kisara sighed. "Let it go, Shizuka. Rank hardly matters. I'm just concerned. In addition to Seto, I've heard that the Depravity and the Sinner may also be out."

The Angel blinked, shocked. "The three High Ones? But why…?"

"They may be after the Prince," Kisara replied in a murmur. "If they manage to capture him, the Equilibrium will tilt wildly…the Darkness will conquer the Light and the human world will be plunged into the shadows."

"…Yet you frolic tonight with the Devil."

"Stop speaking of him that way!" Kisara finally snapped, rounding on Shizuka. "Why do you speak as if he seeks to harm me? Seto's not evil, he's no beast! He was gathering star dust tonight!"

"…What? Why would the Devil seek star dust? Angel powder? It helps the messengers of Light fly, not the bringers of Darkness. Aren't their wings glazed by miasma?"

Kisara bit her lip. "I don't know what he wanted it for. He did say he thought it was beautiful. Maybe that's all there is to it."

The duo fell silent, the quiet disturbed only by the occasional moan of the wind. Kisara watched the drifting souls below the palace, wishing hers could join them. Wishing she didn't have to protect it so fiercely. Wishing she could give him her Soul so that she might fill his Abyss…so that they both might be whole…

"BOO!"

Shizuka yelped and leapt backwards; Kisara blinked, startled out of her reverie, and looked up to see the Principality, a young boy with long dark hair and bright, excited green eyes.

"Mokuba? What are you doing?"

He sighed, fanning out his wings to flip upside-down in mid-air. "Nothing fazes you, Kisara. You barely twitched." He grinned. "Though Shizuka looks like she wet herself."

"Sh-Shut up!" the Angel snapped, blushing furiously. "You're such a brat!"

Mokuba flipped himself over, ignoring her rants, to perch on the railing upon which Kisara leant. "What were you talking about? It sounded pretty serious."

"Your annoying jerk of a brother," Shizuka replied flatly. "Go away, Mokuba, you're too young for this."

The boy scowled at her, sticking his tongue out. "You be quiet! I'm a higher rank than you, in any case! And don't talk bad about Big Brother!"

"Where's Noah?" Kisara broke in, dousing the argument before it got any more heated. "Off playing pranks on Hassan again?"

Mokuba wrinkled his nose. "Hassan's creepy," he complained. "He deserves whatever Noah throws at him."

"He's a Domination, you prat," Shizuka pointed out. "He could crush you with one hand."

"That means he could crush _you_ with two fingers, Angel," Mokuba replied snarkily, and she blushed a bright pink. It was probably true. Satisfyed, Mokuba turned back to Kisara, cocking his head. "Are you in love with Big Brother?"

Kisara groaned and dropped her head onto her folded arms. It was going to be a long night.

"It's okay, you know," Mokuba said quickly. "Better you than Shizuka."

"Hey!"

Ignoring her, the Principality continued. "But really don't let him have your Soul, okay? I don't think he's actually a bad guy, but I don't want the Equilibrium to shift to the Dark. That would be too scary."

Kisara smiled, placing a finger on the boy's nose. "I promise to protect you if it does, Moki. Who's out looking for the demons, by the way?"

"Yugi, Ryou, and Hassan," Mokuba answered, ticking off names on his fingers. "Noah was summoned by Horus, I think. The Prince doesn't really have anyone to play with, but I told him I had something I needed to do."

"What was that?"

"Er…nothing, actually," Mokuba said sheepishly, smiling a bit. "Horus just has such a sad aura. Being around kind of hurts…here," he said, tapping his chest. "It makes me feel empty."

Kisara was quiet for a moment, then smiled sadly. "It must be hard for a child to be so hated, you know? Seth's demons have made countless attempts at his life; he must be scared."

"Is that what we think the demons are trying to do right now?"

Kisara nodded, her blue eyes dropping back to the city of lost souls. "Yes. Horus is every bit as important as our Souls; if he is killed, the Equilibrium will shift to the Dark."

Mokuba was silent for a time, his gaze joining hers as they watched the confused souls below. Shizuka joined them at the railing, resting her chin on the cold marble.

"…I wish…"

Kisara looked up at the boy, blinking. "Mokuba?"

He set his jaw, his emerald eyes blazing. "I wish my big brother could trust himself with me. I wish he didn't have to be afraid of being close to me. So…Kisara, if he does take your Soul, make sure you fill his Abyss too, okay? Make the Divine Equilibrium so we can all live together in the Afterlife."

Kisara smiled and nodded. "I'll try my best, Moki. I'll try my best…"

* * *

"Seto."

Damn. Morning already? And he'd been having such a nice dream…

"Yo, dude. Let's wake up, angel boy. Rise and shine. We've got a mission, remember?"

"…Why the hell are we carrying this thing out in broad daylight?" Seto grumbled, before abruptly stretching one wing to smack Bakura in the face. The Depravity fell back, hissing, spitting sand out of his mouth once more, while Seto sat up to shake it out of his hair.

"Where's Marik?" Seto yawned, looking around the partially deserted campsite. The last embers of the fire were just dying.

"Cleaning up the area. We had some angels tailing us, apparently."

"Which ones?" Seto asked, his stomach clenching painfully, but Bakura shrugged.

"Dunno." He glanced up at his friend and frowned. "Don't think it was the boys, if that's what you're worried about. Whoever was tailing us was being too sneaky to be them."

"Good."

Seto stood, stretching, and proceeded to stomp out the last of the embers. Bakura watched him, his gaze distant and his thoughts elsewhere.

"Don't let that Mokuba kid fill your Abyss," he warned quietly, and Seto paused.

"He won't," the Devil growled, narrowing his eyes. "I've done a good job of keeping my distance, haven't I?"

Bakura shrugged one shoulder, looking elsewhere, making it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to say anymore on the matter. Seto kicked out the flame with a bit more vigor, irritated. A glitter in the weak sunlight caught his attention, and he looked over to see the star dust still shimmering on his wings. He brushed it off angrily, his heart aching. Torn.

"I'm going for a walk," he said, turning on his heel to face Bakura, who hadn't moved from his position on the ground. "I'll be back in bit."

"Sure."

Seto cringed; he hadn't expected Bakura to be so complient. He'd been hoping for a glare or a snarky reply, anything to get a fight started, anything to help him work out his stress. Bakura's good nature revealed itself at the most annoying of times.

"Don't give me that look," Bakura said flatly after a moment. "It's you you're mad at, not me. Go beat up an angel if you're so upset."

"Shut up," Seto grumbled, before turning on his heel and storming from the camp. The second he was out of Bakura's sight, hidden in the trees, he broke into a run. He could hear footsteps nearby, mimicking his pace, and he took a sharp right; his chaser copied him perfectly. Uneasy with being the prey, Seto picked up speed to leap onto a low lying branch, and from there he kicked off and into the air, spreading his wings the moment he had room.

He hovered a good two hundred feet above the ground, eyes searching--there. An angel, lifting from the trees, his or her white wings catching the rays of the sun. Seto folded his arms over his chest, hovering, waiting patiently until his company was within earshot.

"Yugi-sama," he greeted loudly, smirking just faintly. "What brings you here this fine morning?"

"I could ask the same question of you," the angel repeated flatly, and Seto's smile faltered slightly.

"…Atemu. So early in the morning, too. Give the boy some peace, why don't you."

"What are you doing here?" Atemu demanded, moving closer, and Seto floated back.

"That's really none of your business."

"You've completely transcended the boundary. It became my business the moment you crossed out of your lands. What do you want here?"

"Do you know where I might find Kisara?"

Atemu snorted. "What, so you can take her Soul? Why should I tell you?"

"It was an honest question. And I'm not after Kisara's Soul. You should know that."

"I can't be sure," Atemu murmured. "Be careful, Seto. Someone's going to fill your Abyss if you don't watch your back…"

Seto's eyes widened ever so slightly, and he folded his wings, dropping lower in the air just as Hassan streaked over the spot Seto's head had been moments before.

"Whoa," Seto laughed, grinning somewhat manically. "That was alarmingly close. Not a bad attempt, though. Do you think that if you capture me you can force yourself into my Abyss?"

"I think there are those among us who can," Atemu retorted, his eyes flashing, and all at once Seto felt a third presense behind him, coming closer--

He dropped again, and this time it was Ryou that flew overhead, missing his target by mere inches.

"Drat," the Archangel sighed, spreading his wings to turn gracefully in the air, fluttering to Atemu's side. "Sorry about that; it seems I missed."

"Three against one?" Seto sighed, scratching his head. "Now, now, Atemu, that's hardly fair. Fortunately, however…"

The sky seemed to explode, lightning tearing upwards from the forest to rent the clouds apart, and the angels barely scattered in time; Ryou could feel the heat licking upwards, singeing the edges of his delicate white wings.

The great white dragon roared from the trees, its brutal wings tearing through the air to guide it to its master's side. Seto stroked a hand down its nose as it brushed past him, and it turned its huge head towards the angels, its fangs exposed in a long snarl.

"So the Devil calls forth his stolen servant," Hassan murmured, his masked face turning towards Atemu. "We need to depart. Even we cannot stand up against both the Lord Devil and his dragon. And there are undoubtedly others…perhaps we would do best to monitor him for now."

Atemu ground his teeth; he hated to have to retreat, but Seto and the dragon really would be too much for them to handle without Kisara or even Noah there.

"We'll meet again soon, Seto," Atemu warned, his reddish eyes locking upon Seto's icy blue orbs. "Don't think it'll work out in your favor next time. You may be the Devil, but you are the weakest link; your Abyss will be filled, whether you wish it or not."

"Keep telling yourself that," Seto replied, grinning and leaning an elbow upon his dragon's head. "Keep telling yourself that, Atemu-sama. Bye now."

The Virtue glared at him for a moment more before turning away, joining his comrades as they headed back towards the palace. Seto watched them for a time, just to ensure they were really gone, before heaving a sigh of relief and stroking his dragon's head indulgently.

"Thank you, Atreyu," he said gratefully, pressing his forehead to the beast's. "I thought I was done for. Once again you neglect to let me down."

The dragon snorted, pressing his nose into Seto's hand. The Devil frowned, his thoughts wandering. He probably could have handled Atemu and Ryou on his own if he'd stayed alert, but the Domination would have presented a very real problem. He was ranked highly, but Seto had always had a sinking suspicion that Hassan was much stronger than his title suggested.

_There's no chance of HIM filling my Abyss, in any case_, Seto reminded himself with a sigh. Ryou wasn't going to be a threat either, but Yugi…Atemu…it suddenly occurred to Seto that if he got obsessed with defeating Yugi or something, his Abyss was as good as filled…

"Crap," he groaned, dropping his head onto Atreyu's. "He's taking advantage of that, the bastard! He's trying to get me competitive…!"

"Who's a bastard?"

Seto jerked around at the sound of Bakura's voice, seeing the Depravity coast up to his level.

"Where the angels giving you trouble?" Bakura asked, cocking his head. "When you didn't come back quickly, I got worried."

"They stopped by," Seto replied, trying to sound nonplussed by it. "Atemu, Ryou, and Hassan."

Bakura grimaced, his brow furrowing. "Hassan? Damn. That guy just freaks me out. With the mask and everything…I hate not being able to read my opponent's face."

"A real creep," Seto agreed. "Well, a lot of good Marik's scouting did us. He's probably on the other side of the stupid palace by now…"

"Probably," Bakura confirmed, cracking a grin, and after a somewhat strained moment Seto returned it. Making fun of Marik was always a good outlet; suddenly, it was as if nothing had happened between them.

"See, I'm always waiting for the Equilibrium to just flop over when you wind up falling head over heels for that Kisara chick," Bakura teased, hiding his grin behind one hand; it was impossible to keep a straight face when Seto blushed like that.

"Shut up, I'm working on it," the Devil groused, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's go back to the ground, okay? We'll find Marik and get our butts in gear--we've still got a mission, after all."

* * *

It took three days (human time; Seto had long since lost track of time in the Underworld). It was three whole days of skirting around the palace, avoiding the angels, constantly shielding their dark energy, hiding out from Osiris and Isis, meticulously recording and then memorizing Horus's every daily routine. Their orders had been to stick close to the border, gather what they could from local bars or everyday gossip, but Seto knew better than to think that any personal information about the Prince would be found in a pub, especially from the mouth of some drunk.

Seth was going to be angry. It didn't particularly bother Seto--Seth was usually angry--for he knew that the Chaos Lord was eventually going to be glad that they'd moved the operation so quickly. Whether he ever admitted to it would be a different matter.

It was after the fourth day in hiding that Seto, Bakura, and Marik decided that they'd gleaned all they could from simple observation, and their energy was waning; soon they wouldn't be able to shield, and then they'd have all seven angels plus the gods' guards on their tails. Even Bakura, who was known for his recklessness, wasn't willing to risk another night.

The journey back to Seth's domain seemed to take an eternity. They flew through the sky at all hours of the day, under the blazing sun and beneath the softly glittering stars, over all terrains and all amount of beings. Atreyu and Letha came and went, occasionally clearing the path up ahead and sometimes dropping back to make sure that their master wasn't being followed.

Incidentally, he was.

Perhaps this knowledge was what made the trip back to the border feel so interminable; Seto found himself almost in a rush to get back to the border, where he'd be safe, where his Abyss would be blacker than ever, where _her_ light couldn't touch him as strongly…

But when the boundary marker, the River Styx, was finally beneath them, Seto flared his wings, slowing gently, hovering in mid-air. Marik glanced over his shoulder and stopped, confusion in his eyes, a question in his throat, but Seto waved him on with one hand. The Sinner paused, fluttering lightly with the evening breeze, but eventually nodded and continued on ahead. Seto directed his dragons after his friends before folding his wings to drop sharply into the undergrowth that surrounded the clear river.

He landed on its banks, feet settling comfortably into the damp sand. Countless souls drifted through the water, some watching him, some looking ahead, some looking about helplessly for a friend or family member. It made Seto's stomach to crawl that every day a mother or father, wife or husband, brother or sister, son or daughter, had his or her eaten, while his or her loved ones drifted peacefully down the river…

"Seto."

He sighed and looked up, her soft voice breaking him from his musings. "Kisara," he murmured. "If you wanted to speak to me, you could have just found me while we were near the palace. You knew we were there, didn't you?"

She nodded faintly, small feet carrying her to his side. She looked into the water, her blue eyes narrowing a bit. "I could have. But I knew you'd be more comfortable here, at the border. You can escape any time you want."

He said nothing; it unnerved him that she already knew him so well.

"It's no secret that you're paranoid of someone filling your Abyss," Kisara said, as if reading his thoughts. "That's why you've rejected Mokuba and Noah, isn't it? It's why you refuse to associate with Yugi. It's why…you often refuse to see me."

Seto remained silent. His pride wasn't going to let him admit that she was right. He knew he hadn't been careful enough; his Abyss seemed wide open, available to any angel that wanted to fill it, and it terrified and infuriated him to think that he was the weakest link amongst the demons.

"Kisara," he began stiffly, turning his head to look at her, ready to tell her that their plan wasn't going to work--that he couldn't control himself for that long--but the moment his eyes met hers he knew he wasn't even going to last the next few seconds. Maybe Marik was right--maybe she _was_ an enchantress. Her white hair, those infinitely blue eyes; maybe she had him under a spell…

She placed a single pale hand on his cheek and pulled close to him, her lips pressing softly against his. He closed his eyes, feeling that familiar fluttering in the pit of his being that meant his Abyss was beginning to open. And yet his arms moved around her waist, tugging her closer, and her fingers wound into his hair…

From a good fifty feet up Marik watched, shaking his head slightly. He brought a hand up to his forehead and rubbed it down his face, groaning and rolling his eyes skyward.

"Moron's going to get us all killed…"

* * *

**Not bad for a first chapter, yeah? Please leave a review on the way out. Thank you very much! I'll update as soon as I can.**


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